Vancouver Island Race Series ambassadors content and media

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Ambassador Claire trains and race by “Party Pace”

PARTY PACE

Party Pace is a term I recently stumbled upon. Essentially, you are picking a pace that is comfortable and fun for yourself. Simple. Right?

The truth is, I have no idea what anyone is talking about. Splits, watches, training loads, heart rate, shoes, and for the love of running: STRAVA!

It’s a lot.

I played team sports my entire life and was a complete animal in the competitive department. So, I get the urge to go all in, and while I’m not completely out to lunch on all this lingo, it’s just not for me. Spoiler alert: I don’t even own a running watch.

“But Claire, how do you know your heart rate?” I don’t.

“How about your splits?” Ummmm…

“Will you ever know if you got a PB?” Probably not.

“Or a PR?” Wait, isn’t that the same…

The truth is, I got into running as a new hobby. I was looking for something that I could do whenever and wherever I wanted. I signed up for a few races, thinking my competitive edge would kick in, but by race day, I had logged the km’s but hadn’t “trained hard” like I thought I would. Race after race I would run, usually mid pack, jump in puddles, graze the food tables and go home. Happy as a clam.

Huh, I didn’t expect that. Confused and concerned by my lack of burning desire to crush my competition, I signed up with a running group. Maybe that would be the ticket. It wasn’t. I found I looked forward to my three running dates with myself for a week, and I didn’t want to cancel them. Week after week, I was showing up for myself, with my only goal being to get out the door.

I got so wrapped up thinking I needed a PB, a set goal, or a running group that I lost sight of why I liked running. Don’t get me wrong, I think these things are phenomenal, and I encourage everyone to find their place in the community, but for me, I realized I’m ok just showing up, on my own, chatting with strangers, running my party pace, without a watch, looking like a nut cheering every person on and beelining it to the food station.

This doesn’t mean I’ll never join a group (I’d like to find one now) or that I’ll never get more serious about racing. It just means where I am right now is fun, and I dig that. Being an ambassador for the Island Race Series has taught me that we all have a pace and place in racing, and it’s not linear for anyone. Ready, set, party!

PS For those concerned, I DO have the “Strava,” and I DO turn it on about 5 minutes before the race. The horror, I know!

PPS

If someone in the Parksville/QB area would like to start a weekly Party Pace beer run, I could easily be persuaded.

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Going at my pace: A turtle’s guide to racing

Paige Shaw

There are a few common misconceptions that I often hear online about running and racing. One
of them being that running needs to be a challenging, all-out effort, even when you’re starting
out. Another is that if you’re a slow runner, you’re “not really a runner.”

Based on these two messages, it’s no wonder that some people feel discouraged from joining the sport. I’m here to
show you that racing is for slower runners too!

If we haven’t met before, hi, hello! I am a slower runner. I affectionately call myself a turtle.

When I’m racing, on a good day, my top speed is probably around 6:30/km for a 10km and 7:00-
7:30/km during a half marathon. I have run two marathons, both of which took me over 6 hours
to complete (my current marathon PB is around 6 hours and 11 minutes). You may ask, why am
I’m trying so hard when I’m not even close to being at the front of the pack. Why do I race?

Here’s the thing: racing doesn’t have to be about being the fastest. It can be about the
community, the experience, and the personal growth from just showing up. Every time I show up
on the start line, there is the possibility that I’ll push myself just a little bit harder, go just a little bit
faster. There’s also the possibility that I’m just there to have a good time. And that’s okay, too.
And to be honest, us slower runners bring the best vibes to the race.

Racing can also be about challenging your mental strength.

For me, this is also something I enjoy about taking on longer distances such as the marathon and half marathon. Sometimes,
during a race, I will question what I’m doing — can my body actually do this? Have I tried to do too
much this time? These are some of the mental barriers that pop up and challenge me throughout
the race. But I keep moving forward, and through each race I complete, I build confidence in
myself and my resiliency as a runner. The coolest part is that I feel like I also learn new things
about myself.

Maybe I will get faster, maybe I’ll have setbacks, or I won’t, but racing can be a
time that I have with myself and my community that make running feel amazing.
One of the things I love most about the Vancouver Island Race Series is how it creates an
environment for runners of all abilities to feel welcome and encouraged. The volunteers, race
organizers, and fellow runners bring an infectious energy, no matter where you finish. This is
why I also make it a point to cheer on everyone I can.

As an ambassador for the series, I hope that I can encourage runners to try racing — no matter their pace. And as a friend told me once, forward is the pace. It’s not about speed, it’s about your experience and whatever you want it to be.

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Become a Vancouver Island Race Series Ambassador

Apply to become a Vancouver Island Race Series ambassador. The Vancouver Island Runners’ Association is seeking a few ambassadors to represent the Vancouver Island Race Series as well as the association (VIRA) and our member clubs. Enjoy all the benefits and social connections while being a series ambassador. Applications are now closed. Eight ambassadors have […]

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A final word from Ambassador Sander on the 2024 Vancouver Island Race Series

So…that’s it for the race series.

We started the series with below-zero temperatures at the Harriers Pioneer 8K and ended with 17 degrees Celsius at the Bazan Bay 5K. We had cloudy races, one with a massive downpour and puddle jumping (looking at you, Hatley Castle), and beautiful sunny ones like in Comox and this last Sunday.

Sander Nederveen. Photo credit: Christopher Kelsall

This edition of the Island Series once again showed how great of a running community Vancouver Island has. At every race, I saw familiar faces, had nice start and finish line chats, and got to know a couple of new people.

I learned that being an ambassador for the series is the easiest thing ever. It takes absolutely no effort to show enthusiasm for these races when the courses are beautiful, the post-race food plentiful, and the cheer squads louder than you could have imagined.

And in this sense, I wasn’t that much of an ambassador. The real ambassadors for the Island Race Series are the race directors, volunteers, and folks cheering along the course. I can’t even begin imagining the work that the organizers and volunteers have put into making the series to the success it was.

The post-race experience at the Island Series truly is one of a kind. So much pizza, chilli, chowder, and sometimes even beer. For those who stuck around long enough, there were awesome draw prizes too, powered by some great sponsors. There is too many to name, but you can check them out on the website.

See all series sponsors here.

Finally, I shouldn’t forget to congratulate Speedfarm and the Prairie Inn Harriers Running Club with winning the Island Series and VIRA Cups, respectively. Also a big congratulations to those who managed to run a PB,  to those who raced their first race, to those who came back to running after an injury or break, to those who ran their furthest distance ever in the series, to those who broke world records in their age group, and most of all to those who had a ton of fun being part of the series.

Now it’s time to give your carbon-plated shoes some rest and lace up the trail shoes for the summer. I look forward to seeing you all again next year.

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Holly Pinto: Race recap from McLean Mill 10K

I brought home my best time ever for a 10km. Nothing about this article has to do with that. Just thought you should know. You should also know the McLean Mill 10K was the Kinder Surprise Egg of the series. Y’all, edge of my seat! In reference to my last post about rituals… there was no room for that. So, what do we do when a race goes nothing as planned? 

Step 1: stay warmed up…

Step 2: just run. 

It’s been said before, it’s not the destination, it’s the journey. While I can exaggerate the importance of keeping race day similar to training days, sometimes I don’t have control. It’s going to rain though the forecast said 0% chance of precipitation. It’s going to false start right when the preworkout kicks in. You might cross the finish line just to… cross another? With all that eclipse energy to share, I shouldn’t have been surprised that nothing was how I planned. A gentle reminder that we all came to simply… run. 

Like every race in the series, you can’t help but get lost in the beauty of the course. There’s no hustle and bustle. I zig-zagged the back road forest which canopied the rainfall. That’s why I run. To be lost in amongst trees. I forgot for that moment the stress of this and that and just ran. Yes, race day should have a pressure to play your best. However, the heart in showing up is the love for the run. With the Vancouver Island Run Series, we escape into pockets of the island’s lushest country life. And the McLean Mill 10K was so. As rolling hills take you through the miles you can’t help but feel like a Mario cart driver in the jungle using all gears. The snowcap mountains in the background display you are in fact running at the most beautiful place in the world. And that final stretch UP humbles efforts of going for the fast finish. 

After we cheer Dog Mountain Brewing beer we congratulate each other. Ribbons are handed out while we warm up to the most perfect chilli. A thought I had: I didn’t ask a single person their timing. No one asked mine. You know why? We were all there for the love of running. Our runner’s high didn’t leave space for competition (ok, a little). Rather everyone was smiling and joyously hollering and celebrating. This is the best part of this friendly island cup game. The camaraderie is a balance of chasing goals while catching up with pals. It’s about just running. 

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Ambassador Holly: This is the race I’ve been waiting for (McLean Mill 10K)

Three sleeps until the McLean Mill 10K.

This is the race I’ve been waiting for. I’ve called Port Alberni home for almost a decade. Leading up to race day I had the same nerves as I did pre-Comox — the last race I participated in. Even though any race starts with jitters, I have to credit the Vancouver Island Race Series for routing out incredible backdrops that completely distract me.

The Comox Valley RV Half Marathon did not disappoint. With rolling country backroads and farm animal spectators, my favourite snippets from the last race in Comox will reflect here in Port Alberni. I know the route coming up on Sunday. Like Comox, there will be snow-capped mountains in the distance with old-growth trees lining the course. While My goal for the Comox race was to complete it. This Sunday, I’m hoping to bring home my best time for a 10K. No matter the distance, I like to keep prerace day rituals the same. With three sleeps out here are my go-tos (as an amateur runner):

Go-tos

Sleep. Snack. Stretch. Sip.

Sleep.

Leading up to race day I make sure my sleep schedule is clean. No late nights, no sleeping in. Keeping my rest regimented allows me to know how I’ll feel come race day. There’s nothing worse than a sleep hangover from too much sleeping or exhaustion from not enough. With three days out, I’ll be turning off my phone and hitting the pillow for 8-10 hours sleep. 

Snacks! Snacking is any athlete’s favourite part of training. Leading up to race day I ensure I’m getting in my protein and carbs. No skipping meals or splurging on treats. The value in keeping the gut clean for race day is crucial. There’s nothing worse than showing up for a race after investing in training just to have your gut hold you back. 

Stretching. Movement. Flow. I rest on my weight lifting and running workouts this close to a race while allowing an easy run, like chit-chat pace, to keep routine. Each day leading up I’ll continue to do a classic “warm up” with simple drills and mobility offering my muscle memory to keep in action. In the evenings I’ll do a foam rolling for fascial release and bring blood flow to the spots holding tension. Conserving my endurance for the big day while still keeping my body moving. 

Sip, sip, hurray! An honest mistake I have made as a rookie is chugging all the water 24 hours out from a race and then feeling sluggish. It’s frustrating hitting the course on race day just to be interrupted for a toilet break. Starting now, I’ll make sure I am sipping my water continuously until the race. A couple hours out from the race start, I’ll add my favourite electrolytes in. Supplementing these minerals has me prepped for the first few race kilometres. Like gas in the tank rather than starting on empty. 

Banking on these pre-race rituals helps me feel prepared and eases the pressure leading up to racing. The starting line is close in sight today and I’m ready to see fellow racers. Not just to see ribbons handed out, but also to toast personal bests and some friendly “I did its!” 

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McLean Mill 10K: A guide to quickly running to chowder

With the half marathon behind us, it’s just a 10K and a 5K race left until the end of this year’s series. In Cobble Hill, you have already set a time to beat, and McLean Mill is a fantastic opportunity to see how much you’ve grown into your race routine.

When you look at the elevation profile of the McLean Mill course, it looks relatively flat. That is if you don’t look at the scale. So you’ve been warned: the course will be a bit hilly. However, to reward you for battling all the hills, there will be chowder. So when the gun goes off, your race to chowder begins. The first 200 metres or so, you make your way to the road and downhill you go. The first 4 to 5K are fast. It’s mostly downhill and you need to go give ‘er in this first half. Because think about it: the faster you go here, the sooner you’ll get your hands on chowder. Also, the second half is less forgiving and might make you slow down your pursuit of chowder.

Photo from the first 200m of the 2023 edition of the McLean Mill 10K. Photo credit: Joe Camilleri

After you’ve hit the halfway point though the course will go uphill. The last 2.5K you will be backtracking the first kilometres, so you will be going the same way up as you came down. So while the way out was downhill and fast, the way back will be uphill. Here’s the positive thing about the uphill on the way back: you’re closer to the chowder than you are to the start. So even if the hills feel relentless: don’t give up! Remind yourself that there’s chowder waiting for you at the finish to give yourself that extra bit of motivation to push a little harder.

By the time you hit the point on the road you came on at the start, don’t be fooled. You’re not there yet! You still have half a kilometre to go. Keep going on the road, listen to the kind volunteers that will make you take a 180 turn, run back on the road and then a left turn towards the mill. You go up a little bump and then you can sprint down to the finish. At that point, you can basically smell the chowder.

Port Alberni, bring it on!

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Sean Mitchell: Sooke 10K race re-cap, chocolate, mascots and personal bests

Well, it wasn’t Easter and there was no chocolate bunny, but there was great weather, a #BigTurk bunny, a no prob-llama, pancakes and a whole lot of fun at Sunday’s Westcoast Running Sooke 10k. It was race #5 in the 2024 Vancouver Island Race Series. 

Going in, I honestly wasn’t sure how to approach the effort. Those of you who have run the course will know it’s a rolling out and back with a good long incline at 7k leading into a nice fast finish (if you play it right). I figured I’d set out at a steady 4:15/km, see if I could maintain a steady pace up the “incline” (note: not a hill), then rip down the backside and onto the finish. Well, as I am often fond of doing, 4:15 turned into 4:05, but it felt pretty good. Ceevac’s own Micheal Gerhardt and I attacked that hill, and when I got to the top I (honestly) felt great — so off we went.

We kicked it up a notch over the final 2k and was shocked to cross the line in 40:33, a 30-second improvement over Cobble Hill a few weeks ago. That time was good enough for 72nd overall and 6th in the always competitive M50-54 age category.

Sean Mitchell rolling out a new personal best in Sooke. Photo credit: Joseph Camilleri.

Before all that, my youngest tackled the kid’s run, enjoying himself while keeping the Harriers tent warm. Tough job, I know. But I was proud of him for giving it a good effort, even though the candy was calling… 🤤

And, after all the running was over, we were treated to a primo feast of pancakes and sausages with whipped cream and strawberries courtesy of the Sooke Lions, plus a whole bunch more goodies (and maybe a Fat Tug for dad). Also, I appreciated seeing the gluten and vegan options so enthusiastically received. 

It is always a pleasure to see so many people out racing, having fun and enjoying themselves. Kudos to rockstar race directors Katie Quast and Jason Ball for putting on such a great event. See you in Courtenay on Sunday, March 24 for the CVRR Comox Valley RV Half Marathon!

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Ambassador Sander: How to run the Comox Valley RV Half Marathon

We’ve had five races to warm up, and now the big guns are coming out: the Comox Valley RV Half Marathon, organized by the Comox Valley Road Runners. It’s only one of two opportunities to run a distance over 10 km in the series and be ranked in the overall Series results.

It’s not only a good race to secure your spot in the overall rankings: it is also a good course to perform well. The race offers an out-and-back course, and while it has a fair bit of uphill, it also has its share of downhill.

Elevation graph of Comox Valley RV Half Marathon course.

Mentally, I like to divide the course up into four parts. Each part has a different profile, so it’s useful for building my race strategy. Breaking the race up into pieces is also quite nice to make it mentally more manageable to get ready for a long, hard-effort run.

The first part is approximately 5 km long. If you have a goal time in mind, figure out what splits you need if you were to run a flat race. This part of the course is relatively flat – give or take a bump or two – so in this part, you can simply hit these splits. There’s genuinely nothing remarkable about this section, so use it to find your groove and settle in.

The second part is where you will have to grit your teeth because it’ll be uphill until you’ve pretty much hit the halfway point. You have two choices: slow down or blow up. I recommend the first option: slow down a bit. Don’t forget it’s an out-and-back course so you’ll get the downhill portion later where you can make up time. Don’t slow down too much either, it’s fine to be a tad uncomfortable, but don’t overdo it.

Part three starts at the turnaround. Now it’s time to turn it up a notch. Go just a bit faster until you get over a bump at KM 12. Once you see the 12KM sign, it’s time to add a little spice to your race. The downhill stretch lasts for about 6KMs, so the course will help you just roll down. If you add a little bit of power, you’ll make up lots of time and you can definitely hit splits you wouldn’t normally expect to see in a half marathon.

Once your watch beeps for KM18, you should quickly check in with yourself. Since it is only three more km to go, there are a couple of different scenarios. Maybe you feel a little winded, in which case it’s too early to keep pushing really, really hard. It would be a shame to blow it in the last KM. While you can’t really win your PB in the final kilometre, you sure can lose it. So maybe settle back into a comfortably uncomfortable pace, and when you have about a mile to go, slowly start turning it up again if you can.             
Alternatively, you may still feel grand after all that downhill. If you have more left in the tank for the last three KM, just keep on going. You’ve hit a stellar average for 18 km already, why wouldn’t you be able to do it for just a bit longer? This is where your body will tell you what you can and cannot do. It’s up to you whether you think it’s worth listening. There’s no single right answer it might be too risky, or it might be a risk that will pay off. You’ll only know during the race.

Start of 2023 Comox Valley RV Half Marathon. Photo credit: Joseph Camilleri.

No matter how things unravel, it will be a spectacular race. If you’ve never run a negative split, this is the course to change that.  It’s going to be a great adventure, so get ready!